1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for making permanent drawings and markings on tiles. More particularly, the present invention relates a method for making permanent drawings and markings on a mosaic arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Specifically, in the past tiles have either been painted by a laborious hand process or alternatively, a scratch or etching was made in the tiles and then followed with a painting process over the etching to cause the paint to be embedded on the surface of the tiles.
The following twenty-five (25) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,907 issued to Barker et al. on Oct. 2, 1979 for xe2x80x9cSimulated Ceramic Tilexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""907 Barker Patenxe2x80x9d);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,343 issued to Barker el at. on Nov. 11, 1980 for xe2x80x9cThree-Dimensional Decorative Surfacexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""343 Barker Patentxe2x80x9d);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,952 issued to Barker et al. on Mar. 9, 1982 for xe2x80x9cThree-Dimensional Decorative Surfacexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""952 Barker Patentxe2x80x9d);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,489 issued to Barker et al. on Jul. 13, 1982 for xe2x80x9cSimulated Ceramic Tilexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""489 Barker Patentxe2x80x9d);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,108 issued to Barker et al. on Jul. 12, 1983 for xe2x80x9cSimulated Ceramic Tilexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""108 Barker Patentxe2x80x9d);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,525 issued to Miyamoto et al. on Sep. 23, 1986 for xe2x80x9cInk-Jet Recording Mediumxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cMiyamoto Patentxe2x80x9d);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,386 issued to Butters et al. on Aug. 15, 1989 for xe2x80x9cInkable Sheetxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""386 Butters Patentxe2x80x9d);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,581 issued to Mouri et al. on Sep. 19, 1989 for xe2x80x9cInk-Receiving Composite Polymer Materialxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cMouri Patentxe2x80x9d);
9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,577 issued to Butters et al. on Feb. 20, 1990 for xe2x80x9cInkable Sheetxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""577 Butters Patentxe2x80x9d);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,172 issued to Chieng et al. on Apr. 9, 1991 for xe2x80x9cInk-Jet Inks For The Marking Of Plasticsxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cChieng Patentxe2x80x9d);
11. U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,200 issued to Deguchi et al. on May 12, 1992 for xe2x80x9cHot Melt Ink Jet Apparatus Having Intervention Member Located Between Member And A Printed Printing Sheetxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cDeguchi Patentxe2x80x9d);
12. U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,654 issued to Arimatsu et al. on May 17, 1994 for xe2x80x9cMethod For Directly Making Printing Plate Using Ink-Jet Systemxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cArimatsu Patentxe2x80x9d);
13. U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,474 issued to Airey et al. on Apr. 18, 1995 for xe2x80x9cInk Jet Printer Ink For Printing On Ceramics Or Glassxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cAirey Patentxe2x80x9d);
14. U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,750 issued to Romano et al. on Feb. 25, 1997 for xe2x80x9cMicroporous Ink-Jet Recording Elementsxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cRomano Patentxe2x80x9d);
15. U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,993 issued to Hase et al. on Mar. 11, 1997 for xe2x80x9cProcess For Producing Lithographic Printing Plate, Photosensitive Plate And Aqueous Ink Composition Thereforxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cHase Patentxe2x80x9d);
16. U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,413 issued to Taylor et al. on Sep. 30, 1997 for xe2x80x9cElement And Associated Process For Use With Ink Jet Hot Melt Inks For Thermal Image Transferxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cTaylor Patentxe2x80x9d);
17. U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,793 issued to Inamoto et al. on Feb. 17, 1998 for xe2x80x9cimage forming process and printed articlexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""8793 Inamoto Patentxe2x80x9d);
18. U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,835 issued to Ikeda et al. on Jul. 28, 1998 for xe2x80x9cImage Forming Method, Process For Producing Decorative Aluminum Plate, Apparatus For Carrying Out The Process, Decorative Aluminum Plate And Recording Mediumxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cIkeda Patentxe2x80x9d);
19. U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,425 issued to Brault et al. on Aug. 18, 1998 for xe2x80x9cInk Jet Imaging Process And Recording Element For Use Thereinxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""425 Brault Patentxe2x80x9d);
20. U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,375 issued to Brault et al. on Nov. 17, 1998 for xe2x80x9cInk Jet Imaging Process And Recording Element For Use Thereinxe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""375 Brault Patentxe2x80x9d);
21. U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,514 issued to Bowers on Jan. 12, 1999 for xe2x80x9cCoatings For Vinyl And Canvas Particularly Permitting Ink-Jet Printingxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cBowers Patentxe2x80x9d);
22. U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,662 issued to Schmidt on Jun. 29, 1999 for xe2x80x9cDecorative Tile And Decorative Printing Thereofxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cSchmidt Patent);
23. U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,793 issued to Inamoto on Dec. 14, 1999 for xe2x80x9cImage Forming Process And Printed Articlexe2x80x9d (hereafter xe2x80x9cthe ""0793 Inamoto Patentxe2x80x9d);
24. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,482 issued to Anderson et al. on Dec. 14, 1999 for xe2x80x9cInk Jet Receptor Element Having A Protective Layerxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cAnderson Patentxe2x80x9d); and
25. U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,022 issued to Matzinger on Feb. 15, 2000 for xe2x80x9cTwo-Component Ink Jet Ink Method For The Production Of Lithographic Platesxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cMatzinger Patentxe2x80x9d).
The ""907 Barker Patent discloses a simulated ceramic tile which comprises a nonmetallic, porous substrate having a flat surface coated with an undercoat effective to seal the surface and provide a colored, printable base. An ink layer comprises a layer of colored ink lines of a silicone-containing drying ink which forms a printed pattern on the printable base where the printed pattern is clearly visible. A coloring pigment-containing liquid top coat of a hard resinous silicone-free, film-forming material is applied to the printed pattern on the printable base where the silicone is allowed to repel the liquid to form ridges of the liquid adjacent to the printed pattern. The substrate is dried and baked to fix the liquid material as a hard, coloring pigment-containing, resinous top coat defining a contour of valleys, hills and plains, wherein the intensity of color in the top coat varies with the variation in the contour.
The ""343 Barker Patent discloses a three-dimensional decorative surface which is formed employing the different surface tension properties of a wet ink printed pattern and a liquid top coat composition. The difference in surface tension is such that the liquid top coat composition retracts from the wet ink pattern and subsequently the ink is dried and the top coat is dried and cured.
The ""952 Barker Patent discloses a three-dimensional decorative surface that is similar to the ""343 Barker Patent.
The ""489 Barker Patent discloses a simulated ceramic tile that is similar to the ""907 Barker Patent.
The ""108 Barker Patent discloses a simulated ceramic tile that is similar to the ""489 and ""907 Barker Patents.
The Miyamoto Patent discloses an ink-jet recording system which contains a hydrotalcite compound. The recording system provides recorded images in waterproofness and light fastness by jetting a water-base ink containing a water soluble dye.
The ""386 Butters Patent discloses an inkable sheet. It comprises a PET film base sheet which has a surface with an ink-absorbent resin layer which contains a vinyl pyrrolidone polymer and an acrylic or methacrylic polymer.
The Mouri Patent discloses an ink-receiving composite polymer material. It comprises a nonvolatile organic compound which is caused to penetrate into and diffuse through an ink-receiving polymer forming from any one surface side. A recording medium is used for ink-jet recording wherein a nonvolatile organic compound is caused to penetrate into and diffuse through an ink-receiving layer from the surface.
The ""577 Butters Patent discloses an inkable sheet that is similar to the ""386 Butters Patent.
The Chieng Patent discloses ink-jet inks for the marking of plastics. The inks are formulated by replacing all or a large percentage of the aqueous component in prior art links with an organic liquid which can adhere to, dissolve, swell, or penetrate a plastic film and also act as a solvent for the dyestuff in the ink.
The Deguchi Patent discloses a hot melt ink jet apparatus which heats a solid ink into a molten state and then ejects the molten ink toward a printing sheet. When printing is performed on the printing sheet, the ink which is ejected onto the printing sheet quickly solidifies.
The Arimatsu Patent discloses a method for directly making printing plates using an ink-jet system. The method includes forming an image on a substrate having an ink absorbing layer for lithographic plates by an ink-jet printing using a photopolymerizable ink composition. The ink is exposed to an active light in the wavelength region with which said ink composition is sensitized to cure the image.
The Airey Patent discloses an ink-jet printer ink for printing on ceramic or glass. The pigmented ink is usable in an ink-jet printer in which the maximum particle size of the pigment is sufficiently small not to block the nozzles or the filters of the printer. The particle size range is sufficiently narrow for the ink to have a low viscosity for the printer to operate.
The Romano Patent discloses a microporous ink-jet recording element for an ink-jet printer which comprises an opaque substrate.
The Hase Patent discloses a process for producing a lithographic printing plate, a photosensitive plate and aqueous ink composition therefor.
The Taylor Patent discloses an element and associated process for use with ink-jet hot melt inks for thermal image transfer. The element serves to accept the hot melt ink image from an ink-jet printer and to transfer the image together with a protective layer onto a difficult image substrate. It utilizes temperatures of 65xc2x0 C. and 85xc2x0 C.
The ""8793 Inamoto Patent discloses an image forming process and printed article.
The Ikeda Patent discloses an image forming method and process for producing a decorative aluminum plate. The Ikeda Patent further discloses an apparatus which includes a decorative aluminum plate and a recording medium for carrying out the process.
The ""425 Brault Patent discloses an ink-jet imaging process and recording element for use therein for use on large format posters, billboards and the like.
The ""375 Brault Patent discloses an ink-jet imaging process and recording element for use therein that is similar to the ""425 Brault Patent.
The Bowers Patent discloses a coating for vinyl and canvas particularly permitting ink-jet printing.
The Schmidt Patent discloses a decorative tile and decorative printing thereof. The decorative tile is made of molded hard urethane foam. The surface of the tile is decorated in an automated fashion, by printing a clear sheeting with an electrostatic ink in a color laser printer, and then compressing the sheeting against the tile surface in a high temperature press to heat transfer the sheeting to the surface of the tile.
The ""0783 Inamoto Patent discloses an image forming process and printed article.
The Anderson Patent discloses an ink-jet receptor element having a protective coating. The protective coating is a single protective layer that contains a fluoropolymer and an acrylic polymer.
The Matzinger Patent discloses a two-component ink-jet ink method for the production of lithographic plates.
It is desirable to provide a method for making permanent drawings and markings on a mosaic tile. It is also desirable to provide a method for making permanent drawings and markings on a mosaic tile, where a damaged portion of the entire tile can be replaced with a new tile having the same markings as the damaged portion of the tile, thereby eliminating the need to replace the entire mosaic tile.
The present invention is a method of making permanent drawings and markings on a mosaic tile having a grid frame with a plurality of replaceable plastic tiles or tiles made of polycarbonate material thereon.
The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of separate and replaceable tiles on a grid frame of the mosaic tile; providing an ink-jet printer having an ultraviolet stable ink; spraying the ultraviolet stable ink out from the ink-jet printer onto the plurality of replaceable tiles of the mosaic tile to form an image; and exposing an ultraviolet light on the image to cure the ultraviolet stable ink onto the plurality of replaceable tiles of the mosaic tile.
The method further comprises the step of replacing a damaged tile within the mosaic with a new tile having the same marking as the damaged tile. The method causes the ink to be embedded onto the tiles and remain in a very permanent state. The benefit of the method of having the ink-jet printer printing on the tiles is that it makes it much more efficient and farther, the ink itself is affixed in such a manner that it does not readily fade.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings.